Yair Rodriguez vs. Charles Rosa
The first round began. Crowd chanting Yair. Rosa partially blocks a wheel kick, gets dropped by a flying switch high kick, tries another jumping kick does Rodriguez, Rodriguez tries a flying knee, lands on the bottom in guard, trying a triangle, holy shit. He's cinching it up. He has this in. Has the leg underhooked. He has this. 4:00. Rosa defending, stacking. I don't think he'll get it now. It's in, but Rosa seems fine now. 3:00. Rosa with his hand over the mouth. "Watch your finger in his eyes!" Yamasaki warns repeatedly. Rosa escapes. Yair burned out his legs. For sure. Rosa dives back to guard. Lands a right and a left. Gets the back. One hook. 2:00. A few lefts under. More. Yair seems gassed. "Use the cage!" Yair working to stand. He's up. Rosa keeps standing back. 1:00. Rosa got a beautiful trip and eats an upkick and another, stacks Yair. Guard. Rosa lands a left and a right. Right elbow. A right. "Elbow!" Two big right elbows to the body, another. 30. "Elbow!" Yair trying to take the back lol, thinking armbar. Rosa thinking leglock. Yair escapes on top, lets him up landing a high kick as Rosa stands. 15. Rosa eats a jab and loses his mouthpiece, crowd boos. They continue touching gloves. Yair lands a leg kick stuffing a single. R1 ends, 10-9 Rodriguez but very close, very exciting. R2 began. Rosa lands a leg kick, eats a body kick. Yair drops him with a leg kick, lets him up. Yair front leg side kicks the face. Lands a high kick. And a leg kick. Rosa lumbering forward. Yair stuffs a single. Yair lands an overhand right. 4:00. Yair tries a spinning back kick. Front leg sidekicks the thigh. Yair stuffs a single. Lands a jab. Rosa seems tired. Yair lands a hard body kick. Rosa lands a left. Yair sidekicks the thigh. Sprawls a double, 3:00. Keeps defending a single, lands a right elbow. Yair pretends to walk away, throws a missed left, tries a spinning back elbow, reverses a takedown to mount beautifully. Well, almost mounted, lets him up in a scramble. "This kid is something." Right side of Rosa's head is cut, from that elbow. Down the left side of his face now. "This kid is like a combination of Jon Jones and Anthony Pettis." Rosa working a double. 2:00. Yair defending. Rosa knees the body. Yair knees the body, lands a right elbow, ref calls time to check the cut. It's bad, blood masking Rosa. They continue. Rosa lands a leg kick, Yair lands a hard one. Rosa lands a good right, tries a desperate single, Yair stuffs it easily. Lands a hard leg kick. Lands a good left. Yair defending a single. Easily, 1:00. Rosa seems tired. "Hands up!" Yair tries an upwards Anderson Silva elbow. Misses a big high kick. Rosa rolls for a leglock, eats a few rights, right hammerfists, 30. Yair lets him up. Taunts, eats a right. Rosa shoots and gets a double, Yair reverses him beautifully to mount, three big right elbows, lets him up landing a right uppercut at the bell, R2 ends, 10-9 Rodriguez. "This kid is something special." Doctor checking Rosa. "You were born for this baby. He's tired and we can get him." R3 began. Can't believe Yair is just 23. Rosa lands a counter right. And a good leg kick. Yair landsa leg kick. Rosa trying a double. Gets it to guard. He needs a finish. Boos. Right elbows from Yair. 4:00. "Pass!" "Kick back and pass!" Rosa lands a good right elbow. A few lefts. Two of 'em landed solid. Another. Yair thinking triangle. He might have this in, it is. It's in. Right elbows, too. 3:00. More. Rosa escapes. Passing. Scramble. Rosa turtles him up. Bleeding badly again. Rosa thinking D'arce. Maybe Peruvian necktie. Yep! Rogan agrees. Rear crucifix. Possible twister. Yair escapes, lands a right hammerfist, lets him up, 2:00. Rosa lands a counter right. Yair lands a hard leg kick. Rosa lands a left. Rosa gets a single to side control. Yair rolls beautifully to guard. Rosa passes to side control like through butter. Yair regains guard, lands an upkick, eats a right hammerfist. 1:00. Too little too late. Rosa lands a right hammerfist. His corner is screaming the time. 35. Rosa lands a right elbow, two right hammerfists. Yair lands an upkick. Rosa lands a big right elbow. 15. "Finish it!" His corner is hoarse. Rosa landing short lefts. Lands a right, four big lefts, R3 ends, 10-9 Rosa, he helps Yair up, great fight. Rogan said he was so impressed by both fighters. 29-28 Rodriguez IMO. Rosa hugs Rodriguez. 29-28 split for... Rodriguez. Rosa reacts like he thought he won. Lol Rodriguez threw up a bit in his post-fight interview. "You deserve to be able to throw up wherever you want, just glad you didn't throw up on me." Lol at Rogan. "I believe that is a UFC first, just saying," lol Goldberg. Juan Manuel Marquez in attendance.